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Tue, 12 Dec 2017 15:15:19 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.7.8Faces of SWR – Paul Soberinghttp://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/2017/12/faces-swr-paul-sobering/
http://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/2017/12/faces-swr-paul-sobering/#respondFri, 01 Dec 2017 15:11:12 +0000http://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/?p=8082We are pleased to introduce you to Paul Sobering this week. Paul is Sustainable Waterloo Region’s IT Manager, and keeps us all sane when technology gets the best of us. Paul started at SWR as an IT Support Specialist, where he knew he could develop his skills while supporting a cause that he cared about. […]

We are pleased to introduce you to Paul Sobering this week. Paul is Sustainable Waterloo Region’s IT Manager, and keeps us all sane when technology gets the best of us.

Paul started at SWR as an IT Support Specialist, where he knew he could develop his skills while supporting a cause that he cared about. Paul loves being able to work with other individuals who are taking measurable action against climate change.

At SWR, we have enjoyed having Paul help us with various different projects this year. With a breadth of IT knowledge, Paul has implemented various innovative solutions to issues that we encounter, while making these solutions easy for the whole team to understand. He supports our team of 60-80 staff and volunteers with all of our IT needs including hardware, GSuite, IT accounts, and user support.

This year a few of the larger projects Paul helped with include coordinating IT changes during our office move, improving our Salesforce processes, and amalgamating our email marketing lists to a streamlined provider.

Paul also works at a call centre taking insurance claims. In his free time, he enjoys playing sports. This summer he had fun playing volleyball, even though he wasn’t good at winning. He’s also looking forward to dodge ball this winter.

]]>http://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/2017/12/faces-swr-paul-sobering/feed/0City of Kitchener Sustainability Efforts Highlighted in Case Studyhttp://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/2017/10/city-kitchener-sustainability-efforts-highlighted-case-study/
http://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/2017/10/city-kitchener-sustainability-efforts-highlighted-case-study/#respondMon, 02 Oct 2017 14:19:54 +0000http://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/?p=8008The City of Kitchener has been a municipal leader in environmental planning and stewardship for many years. More recently, the City has joined the Climate Action Waterloo Region collaboration,which collectively aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 6% by 2020. Along with this, the City of Kitchener has its own 20% GHG reduction target from 2015. Read […]

The City of Kitchener has been a municipal leader in environmental planning and stewardship for many years. More recently, the City has joined the Climate Action Waterloo Region collaboration,which collectively aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 6% by 2020. Along with this, the City of Kitchener has its own 20% GHG reduction target from 2015.

]]>http://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/2017/10/city-kitchener-sustainability-efforts-highlighted-case-study/feed/0Business [Un]Usualhttp://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/2017/09/business-unusual/
http://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/2017/09/business-unusual/#respondSat, 23 Sep 2017 17:27:19 +0000http://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/?p=7999Over the past three and a half years or so, I have been lucky enough to attend a number of conferences focusing on organizational sustainability. These have included sectors such as municipalities, academia, for profit entities and a combination of all of these. And I always leave with new ideas, enhanced enthusiasm for the work […]

Over the past three and a half years or so, I have been lucky enough to attend a number of conferences focusing on organizational sustainability. These have included sectors such as municipalities, academia, for profit entities and a combination of all of these. And I always leave with new ideas, enhanced enthusiasm for the work SWR does, and some great new connections.

The Conference Board of Canada is hosting Business [Un]Usual: Profit from Purpose next week, and I am thrilled to be there for part of this event. The conference recognizes that the world is changing fast and business is facing new demands from rapidly evolving technologies, while social, environmental and political issues are affecting bottom-lines. The speakers, sessions and panels will be helping business understand this and help to provide strategies for doing business [Un]Usual in this new reality.

With topics such as The Transition to a Low Carbon Energy Future, The Transition to a Low Carbon Energy Future and Embedding Sustainability into Corporate Governance, this promises to be a great conference!

If you are available to join this event, it could be very worth your while. Learn more about the conference, and maybe I will see you there.

About Business [Un]Usual

The world is facing political, social, environmental and technological transformations that will have profound implications for businesses operating in Canada

Will you be at the mercy of forces, or will you take charge and lead innovations that will transform your business?

Join us at Business [Un]Usual: Profit from Purpose and learn how to navigate these changes, build resilience and capitalize from the opportunities these transformations may bring.

Join experts who have driven change in their organizations as they lead sessions such as:
Disruptive Innovation: Are Robots Good for Business?
Business and Government Driving Toward Purpose Together
Going Urban: The Rise of the Metropolis
For the full agenda, please visit our website.
For the full agenda, please visit our website.

Save $200 on your registration!

Make sure to complete your registration online and save! Your priority code when registering is PRM16.

]]>http://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/2017/09/business-unusual/feed/0Engaging your Workforce – How to Integrate Sustainabilityhttp://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/2017/09/engaging-workforce-integrate-sustainability/
http://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/2017/09/engaging-workforce-integrate-sustainability/#respondWed, 20 Sep 2017 20:42:21 +0000http://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/?p=7978 This morning was well spent listening to Kathryn Cooper share her insight into how organisations can better integrate sustainability into their workforce. She highlighted that a common approach may be for green teams to gain endorsement from upper management, but this may not be fully effective. This is due to change being a difficult step to […]

This morning was well spent listening to Kathryn Cooper share her insight into how organisations can better integrate sustainability into their workforce. She highlighted that a common approach may be for green teams to gain endorsement from upper management, but this may not be fully effective. This is due to change being a difficult step to implement, and sustainability initiatives can make it even more difficult. A study on sustainability efforts showed that only 2% of them were successful while 81% of them were mediocre.

This is the case due to the sustainability related actions being more of a side project or focus, as opposed to a main focus. In order for groups such as green teams to have better success rates, Kathryn outlined some best approaches to consider:

Have Senior Management lead by example eg. sustainable commuting, attending green team meetings.

Allocation in the budget – have a budget allocation for green team projects and sustainability focused projects.

Integrate sustainability into policies – having it written in formal documents reflects the commitment the organisation has.

Incentivise Formally or Informally – reward the green team/ sustainability champions either with bonuses or with recognition e.g. awards

Embed it into Courses and Training – if your organisation offers training, integrate sustainability related principles into the training in order to continuously raise awareness and encourage participation.

Kathryn also highlighted that in order to get your employees or colleagues more involved, having the environment as the key focus may not always be the best approach. Everyone can be involved if there is a connection made between sustainability and a matter that is important to them e.g. health and safety, community, family issues. Linking employees’ priorities to the importance of sustainability is a means to close the gap on mediocre efforts.

These are some thought provoking lessons that came out of the condensed workshop session this morning, with the idea that once an organisation ingrains sustainability into their foundation, it becomes easier to implement sustainability efforts. But if there is hesitation to join, the key is to find what employees are concerned about, and illustrate the connectivity between concerns. It’s also important to show the value of sustainability by instilling it in other forms – by showing recognition to green team champions, integrating it into policies and having leadership be committed to the cause.

]]>http://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/2017/09/engaging-workforce-integrate-sustainability/feed/0Faces of SWR – Basak Topcuhttp://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/2017/09/faces-swr-basak-topcu/
http://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/2017/09/faces-swr-basak-topcu/#respondTue, 05 Sep 2017 00:09:03 +0000http://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/?p=7956Basak started volunteering at SWR when she was new to the region and looking for an opportunity to get involved in local sustainability. After attending an event with her realtor, a series of different events led her to volunteer at SWR, specifically with the TravelWise program. Basak is studying at University of Waterloo doing her Masters of […]

Basak started volunteering at SWR when she was new to the region and looking for an opportunity to get involved in local sustainability. After attending an event with her realtor, a series of different events led her to volunteer at SWR, specifically with the TravelWise program. Basak is studying at University of Waterloo doing her Masters of Sustainability Management.

There are many reasons Basak enjoys volunteering at SWR. She loves being around the enthusiastic team with values and passion similar to her own. Team members really implement sustainability into their daily lives, and Basak loves seeing that. It’s also great that she has the opportunity to be involved in the fast-paced environment with lots of changing projects in all of SWR’s programs.

When Basak joined as a volunteer she was eager to get started and jumped right into the projects that we threw at her. She helped redesign TravelWise surveys that ultimately helped keep everything ahead of schedule and made the whole process move smoothly. Additional to her hard work, Basak sweetens the pot with Turkish treats iike Baklava and Turkish Delight.

Basak really lives sustainability, and can often be found biking to local events and festivals. She is a great conversation partner and can offer intelligent insights into food and water sustainability. We love having Basak on the team because of her great personality and her incredible mind, which is always sharp.

]]>http://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/2017/09/faces-swr-basak-topcu/feed/0Buona Giornata di Romahttp://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/2017/08/buona-giornata-di-roma/
http://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/2017/08/buona-giornata-di-roma/#respondTue, 08 Aug 2017 17:27:51 +0000http://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/?p=7929They are setting records here in Rome. It is around 40 degrees every day, there has not been rain for many days, and there is none in sight. When I was researching sustainable cities in Europe, I saw that Rome was listed. This listing included information about water conservation. From the start water has been […]

They are setting records here in Rome. It is around 40 degrees every day, there has not been rain for many days, and there is none in sight.

When I was researching sustainable cities in Europe, I saw that Rome was listed. This listing included information about water conservation.

From the start water has been a major focus for Rome. With the aqua ducts that were developed for Ancient Rome to the community water spigots (where the water is cool and clean for everyone) all over the city, water is a major player in how this city lives. And now the water source is starting to dry up. It has gotten so bad that there has been talk of rationing.

You can see the evidence of this water shortage everywhere and with the heat things are difficult.

I have heard people here say that southern Italy could soon be a dessert. And this is being closely linked to climate change.

The environmental and social impacts could be significant and we see it each day here in the streets of Rome.

]]>http://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/2017/08/buona-giornata-di-roma/feed/0Greetings from inspiring Freiburghttp://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/2017/08/greetings-from-freiburg/
http://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/2017/08/greetings-from-freiburg/#respondTue, 08 Aug 2017 17:17:40 +0000http://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/?p=7921One of the required stops on this trip, for me, was Freiburg Germany. I first heard about this place from the Conrad family and specifically Manfred Conrad. He came to Freiburg and saw what they are doing and it inspired him to start changing how Waterloo Region looks at development. There is an area of […]

One of the required stops on this trip, for me, was Freiburg Germany. I first heard about this place from the Conrad family and specifically Manfred Conrad. He came to Freiburg and saw what they are doing and it inspired him to start changing how Waterloo Region looks at development.

There is an area of Freiburg called the Vauban. This is a hugely sustainable community which brings together many different housing options, community centers, work places and more to create a unique society. Those that live here sign an agreement for how they will live and make choices based on that.

We saw very high density, communal style living. There were independent houses for those that wanted more space and privacy. There were very few cars as most people used the transit system. And there is one of the most sustainable mixed use buildings.

This is not the only area of Freiburg that they are looking to do differently. In fact it has been asked if this is the most sustainable city in the world.

Waterloo Region is doing so much to work towards sustainability. The areas of transportation, workplaces, housing and more all need focused efforts to create the community we desire. I wonder, while I walk these streets in Freiburg, what we (the members of the community working toward this vision) could learn with some time to pick the brains of those steering the direction of Freiburg.

Sustainability means doing things differently to the benefit of all and it is so Inspiring to see this in action here in Freiburg.

]]>http://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/2017/08/greetings-from-freiburg/feed/0Faces of SWR – Mariah Smithhttp://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/2017/08/faces-swr-mariah-smith/
http://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/2017/08/faces-swr-mariah-smith/#respondWed, 02 Aug 2017 01:23:17 +0000http://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/?p=7906Mariah joined SWR after realizing she wanted to do more to make a difference in her community. After hearing positive things about SWR, she started looking for ways to get involved. Right now she is a year 3 student at University of Waterloo studying Environmental Resource Studies. Mariah likes to keep busy, so additional to her […]

Mariah joined SWR after realizing she wanted to do more to make a difference in her community. After hearing positive things about SWR, she started looking for ways to get involved. Right now she is a year 3 student at University of Waterloo studying Environmental Resource Studies. Mariah likes to keep busy, so additional to her volunteer role and education, she enjoys running and being active outdoors, and teaching others about nature.

At SWR, Mariah likes that she has a role to play in the region’s sustainability. She finds value in working with staff, volunteers, and other organizations who all want to make positive changes in the environment. We love seeing Mariah’s enthusiasm and drive to succeed, which is easily visible in the work that she does. She brings valuable insight and experience to the Business Development team where she volunteers as a Business Development Generalist, and was a joy to have in the office during her work term at SWR.

As a Business Development Generalist, Mariah is involved in helping bring new members to SWR. Recently she has also been helping revise the business development volunteer training manual for new hires. Her experience as a volunteer and as staff give her different perspectives of what it means to be involved with SWR.

Thank you for bringing all of your varied expertise to the team, Mariah!

]]>http://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/2017/08/faces-swr-mariah-smith/feed/0Tova’s Travels – Bon soir de Strasbourghttp://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/2017/07/tovas-travels-strasbourg/
http://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/2017/07/tovas-travels-strasbourg/#respondThu, 27 Jul 2017 13:26:14 +0000http://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/?p=7897This is arguably the prettiest city I have ever seen. Around every corner is another beautiful place. Incredible architecture, pedestrian streets, and outdoor living abounds. This is a city of about 750,000+ people in the metropolitan area and about 270,000+ in the core city. In this way it is reminiscent of Waterloo Region. And it […]

This is arguably the prettiest city I have ever seen. Around every corner is another beautiful place. Incredible architecture, pedestrian streets, and outdoor living abounds.

This is a city of about 750,000+ people in the metropolitan area and about 270,000+ in the core city. In this way it is reminiscent of Waterloo Region.

And it has an LRT.

The trains run through the core on a regular basis. Car traffic is low and ridership seems high in this valuable infrastructure. It is also pretty cool to see the juxtaposition of the historic architecture and the modern transportation option.

]]>http://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/2017/07/tovas-travels-strasbourg/feed/0Employee Engagement – Waterloo North Hydro hosts Eco-Challengehttp://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/2017/07/employee-engagement-waterloo-north-hydro-hosts-eco-challenge/
http://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/2017/07/employee-engagement-waterloo-north-hydro-hosts-eco-challenge/#respondWed, 26 Jul 2017 18:50:13 +0000http://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/?p=7890We are always inspired when members take it upon themselves to improve their sustainability actions. For the month of July, the Green Team at Waterloo North Hydro implemented a month long Eco-Challenge, where employees are encouraged to be more environmentally focused with their day to day activities. Using their challenge as a ‘case study’, here […]

We are always inspired when members take it upon themselves to improve their sustainability actions. For the month of July, the Green Team at Waterloo North Hydro implemented a month long Eco-Challenge, where employees are encouraged to be more environmentally focused with their day to day activities. Using their challenge as a ‘case study’, here are some tips we have outlined to get a similar momentum going at your organisation:

Tip #1: Get Competitive

The first thing to note is that Waterloo North Hydro set this initiative up in the form of a challenge. This encourages people to give it their best shot, especially when the cause is a positive one.

Tip#2: Include Everyone

This challenge first started in 2014 as a commuter challenge, but was expanded this year to include other activities. This allows for more employees to participate in acts of environmental stewardship, allowing them to gravitate towards what is within their ability to complete.

Tip #3: Prizes for the Win

What better way to encourage participation than with prizes? For every action item completed by Waterloo North Hydro employees, a ballot was earned to enter a draw for prizes. These draws were then conducted at the end of every week. You can set up a similar reward type system that will get employees excited at the prospect of ‘winning’ at the challenges.

Tip #4: Positive Affirmation

Along with the challenge rules, the Green Team also got the ball rolling by providing tips for participation and makes involvement that much easier.

It’s hard to do everything, but everyone can do something – employees were encouraged to participate by being reminded that every little effort counts. Actions, no matter how small, shouldn’t be discounted! A good way of letting employees knowing this is through the recognition and encouragement of their sustainable actions.

Conclusion: Practice Sustainability, Be Encouraging, Repeat Cycle

Here are some captures of Waterloo North Hydro’s employees conducting their sustainable actions.These included partaking in sustainable commuting, bringing a litter-less lunch and using the green bins at home (with involving the young ones being a plus!).

The Eco-Challenge is still ongoing; so far 425 km have been biked and 578 km have been carpooled by employees.

We hope this inspires you to start up your own internal challenge. If you’re even more competitive and want to compete with other organisations, the Regional Sustainability Initiative hosts a Carbon Cleanse every year. It is a similar one month series of challenges to help you lower your environmental impact.

If you’d like to find out more about Waterloo North Hydro’s Eco-Challenge or the Regional Sustainability Initiative’s Carbon Cleanse, send an email to Tarana and let’s chat about getting employees engaged.